Monday, December 12, 2011

Why Does My Cat Urinate When Sleeping?

Cats that pee in their sleep usually have an underlying problem causing the incontinence.  Treatments are available for urinary incontinence in cats.

Reasons Why Cats Pee in Their Sleep

Most cats hold their urine during the day but when they fall asleep, urine seeps out when their muscles relax.  This happens most often to aging female cats that were spayed.  According to the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary medicine, the condition is known as “spay incontinence, hormonally-responsive incontinence or urethral sphincter mechanism incompetency”.

Lower urinary tract disease can also cause a cat to urinate in sleep. Overweight cats and middle aged cats that do not get regular exercise are apt to contract urinary tract disease. They urinate often outside the litter box and in their sleep. Veterinarians diagnose urinary tract disease with X-rays, blood tests and an urinalysis. If the tests are positive for urinary tract disease, antibiotics are prescribed to combat the disease.

How to Stop a Cat from Urinating While Asleep


  • Veterinarians prescribe hormone therapy to female cats that urinate in their sleep.  The usual prescription calls for phenylpropanolamine and estrogen hormone replacement.  About ½ to ¾ of the treated cats respond positively to the treatment.  
  • Many cats that urinate during sleep undergo surgical correction if hormone therapy is not effective.  Surgery is risky and often does not stop the incontinence.
  • Veterinarians also perform collagen injections to prevent urinary incontinence in cats.  They inject collagen into the urethra, which cause it to swell.  The swelling puts pressure on the urethra preventing the urine from leaking. Collagen injections are safe and effective but need to be repeated every 18 months.

What to Ask the Vet about Cats Peeing in Their Sleep


  • Treatment options available. 
  • Risks involved with each procedure and how effective the treatments are.  The veterinarian will often recommend a particular treatment depending upon the cat’s health, whether it is a male or a female, or the age of the cat. C
  • Cost of all medical procedures that treat cat incontinence.  If the cat is too old to risk treatment or the cost is prohibitive, try added measures to protect the floor, furniture, and carpeting from cat urine stains. 

How to Protect Furniture and Carpeting from Pet Urine

Cat urine smells and stains are difficult to remove.  Preventing the cat urine from staining furniture and carpets is the best thing to do.  Follow these tips for keeping pet urine stains and odors out of your house.

  • Keep a sheet of plastic or a waterproof pad under the cat’s bedding to prevent the floors from absorbing urine.  
  • Wash the cat’s bedding daily in an odor fighting enzyme solution that is available at pet stores.  Enzyme cleaners remove urine odors completely while other cleaners only mask the smell.
  • Cover furniture with waterproof covers until the cat is treated for incontinence or keep the cat confined to its own area.  It is difficult to contain cats because they jump over gates and high barriers.  It may be necessary to have the cat sleep in a crate during the night rather than risk ruining the furniture.  





9 comments:

  1. My cat is on meds that make him sleepy. I laid a cheap clear shower curtain under the bedspread and then all I have to do is wash the bedspread. It's a pain, but he IS my baby after all.

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  2. Ugh, there's nothing I detest more than the smell of cat wee!

    I used to have such an issue with my cats back in the times of living alone with them. You wouldn't accept the commotion they caused! Truly!

    One of my 2 cats (both neutered guys) had taken to painting the majority of my dividers, furniture, and whatever else he could reach. I was alarmed when I got an UV light. He never did that in the majority of the 9 years I've had him and didn't when I got him a mate (they cherish one another and did so immediately) however when a weird dark cat fired appearing outside both of my cats went crazy and the more seasoned one (9) began his divider painting, just as the window ornaments out in the kitty room. I couldn't stay aware of it.

    My cats are indoor cats so dislike the stray is really going to get in here yet the two of them detest him (and he is weird...my neighbor's cats loathe him as well). I've taken a stab at cleaning with a pet pee compound and afterward spraying some "No More Spraying" however that hasn't worked. He's a tricky little bugger as well; he holds up until he believes I'm not looking and afterward does it. He's discovered that the moment I see him backing his butt looking for trouble he gets shouted at.

    It wasn't until I found "NoMoreCatPee" that I had the option to at long last dispose of this tedious conduct.

    Presently my home doesn't smell like a litter box any longer :)

    Here's a link if you're interested in checking out their site: NoMoreCatPee.com

    Cheers!

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  3. Thank you so much - that is all very helpful to me. In the last few months my cat has started coming up to sleep on the bed @ the edge of the covers - I woke up this morning to my cat laying under my covers which he has never done before - and laying in his own pee - He's 19 - it's very scary - I wiped him off and comforted him. Now washing my bedding. My idea is...he was under the covers & couldn't find his way out to go pee and fell back asleep & peed in his sleep I will take all precautions in case it happens again and then I'll take him to the vet if it does - for antibiotics or whatever the Vet thinks for my old old Cat. Thank you very much for sharing your experiences & your positivity!

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    Replies
    1. My 14yr old cat has done the same exact behavior. I think k they get so comfortable sleeping next 2 us that when the urge to pea happens. They get up and get lazy and go back 2 sleep and pea. Also, the older age has some2 do w it.

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  4. My cat is 1 1/2 years old I've taken him to the vets multiple times for his urine problem, they gave me antibiotics for him once but they were to scared to try and get a urine sample from him due to him having a heart murmur that can cause problems if he gets too overwhelmed. I got a fountain for him suggested by the vets to urge him to drink more but even after all that he still wets himself sleeping 😔 HELP! Should I get supplements to help his urinary tract ? I had seen some at pet Paradise just was unsure about them 💔

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    Replies
    1. Hello I was wondering how you cat is doing now after a few years. My cat seems to be having the same problem :(

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  6. My cat do the same, have no idea what to do.

    ReplyDelete